Lynnette Kent - The Prodigal Texan

“No problem.” Martinez shrugged. “Wade says you’re looking into some of the trouble we’ve been dealing with around here.”

“Anything I can do.”

“We had a break just this week,” Wade said. “The kid who played some tricks on Greer Bell’s guest ranch—”

“That’s Greer Kelley, now,” Martinez put in.

“Right. The Sunrise Guest Ranch. This kid’s kinda slow, and when a stranger offered him cash to play a couple of ‘harmless’ pranks, he agreed. He’s been too scared to identify who paid him until this week.”

“You picked up the guy?”

Wade nodded. “Yesterday. He’s sitting in my jail, not saying much of anything. I figured you could use your big-city interrogation techniques to make him talk. Or we could try straight torture. My dad has this bullwhip at his house…”

“You’re a violent SOB, Montgomery. I always knew that.”

The three of them laughed together, then Wade went off to find his wife. Martinez was giving Jud directions to the foreman’s house on Hayseed Farm when shouts broke out from the crowd.

“There they go!” The westward flow of bodies indicated that Noah and Greer were escaping toward the park entrance.

Bringing up the rear of the procession, Jud arrived on the street in time to see the bride double over with laughter at the appearance of her car. Amidst a deluge of tiny purple flowers, Noah Kelley ushered his wife into the vehicle, stared at his shaving-cream-coated hand for a disgusted moment, then ran to the driver’s side. Cheers, whistles and rattling tin cans followed the couple out of town as the Blazer disappeared into the sunset.

Once the bride and groom had left, their guests didn’t linger. Soon the park was empty except for the cleanup crew composed of the couple’s friends, including Cruz Martinez. Jud didn’t want to show up at his host’s house before the man got there himself, so he decided he would help out where he could. Thanks to a couple of bullet holes in his torso and one in his thigh, his shoulder and leg still weren’t up to heavy lifting. But he thought he could manage some of the lighter chores.

His brother and Ryan Gallagher were folding up chairs and tables.

“Looks like there are plenty of these to go around,” Jud said, closing the seat of one chair. “Mind if I help?”

“Have at it,” Ryan said.

“Don’t put yourself out,” Ethan said at exactly the same time.

Ryan shifted his gaze from Ethan to Jud and back again. “Uh…Kristin needs me for something,” he mumbled, and was gone in the next second.

“Real finesse,” Jud told his brother. “Could you have been ruder?”

Ethan didn’t glance in his direction. “If I set my mind to it, I probably could. You don’t have the least responsibility for clearing up after this party. Why bother?”

“My mother taught me to be polite.”

“I’d say you missed a few lessons. Like ‘honor your father…’” Ethan shook his head. “No. I’m not going to do this. You’re so hot to fold chairs, be my guest.” He let the chair he was holding fall to the ground and walked away to help his wife dismantle the food tables.

At the very thought of food, Jud’s stomach rumbled—he hadn’t eaten since leaving Austin at noon.

“I guess you didn’t get anything to eat.” Miranda picked up the chair Ethan had dropped, folded it and set it neatly in the rack.

“No big deal. I’ll get something later.”

“On your drive back to Austin.” She nodded, as if he’d told her his plans.

He took some satisfaction in correcting that obviously comforting assumption. “I’m staying in town for a few days.”

“What?” From her horrified stare, he might as well have announced his plans to commit serial murder. “Why?”

“Because I want to.”

“But…where will you stay? I mean, Ethan—”

“Wouldn’t have me within ten feet of his fence line,” he finished for her. “Right. That’s okay. Somebody else offered me a room, and I accepted.”

Turning to take down a table, she shrugged a careless shoulder. “Who would that be?”

“Cruz Martinez said I could bunk in with him.” “What?” Her screech drew the attention of people all over the park. She let the table fall and planted her hands on her curvy hips. “Cruz Martinez invited you to stay in his house?”

“And I’m grateful. I wasn’t looking forward to staying at the Rise and Shine. Especially since Tripp Dooley still runs the place.”

Her glare could have burned through steel. “Well, it’s just too bad for you that you’re going to be staying there after all.”

Jud gave her an innocent look. “I don’t understand.”

“You understand perfectly, Jud Ritter. My mother and I own the Hayseed Farm.” She marched up to him and stuck a finger in his chest. “And I’m telling you right now that there’s no way I’m having you staying anywhere on my property. Got that? No way in hell!”

MIRANDA KNEW Jud had deliberately driven her to lose her temper, just the way he’d done when they were in school. She couldn’t count the hours she’d spent in detention because of his teasing.

At least Homestead’s mayor would not have to suffer detention for fighting. On the other hand, yelling at Jud didn’t do much for her image as a mature, competent official.

She stepped back. “I really don’t think you’d be happy staying at our place,” she said more calmly. “Wade and Callie have lots of room, or there’s Greer’s guest ranch….”

“I’d rather not horn in on the newlyweds, if it’s all the same to you.”

“Well, there’s—”

“Look, I’ll stay out of your way,” he said. “You don’t have to fear for your virtue or your livestock. I just need a place to crash.”

Miranda couldn’t let it alone. “You haven’t been home for more than a night in fifteen years. Why the urge to stay on now?”

Jud opened his mouth, and she thought she might get an answer. But then Wade stepped up beside them.

“I’m responsible for that, Ms. Mayor. Let’s meet in your office Monday morning about ten and I’ll explain what’s going on.” Wade drew Jud away to meet his wife, and Miranda had to be satisfied with what little she knew.

Twilight came early in December, and they finished cleaning up the park in near darkness. Finally, Miranda climbed into her truck and let her head fall back against the seat. “I’m exhausted. Baling a field of hay is an easier day’s work than throwing a party.”

In the passenger seat, her mom chuckled. “That’s why we’re farmers, not event planners, or whatever they’re called.”

“Now that’s a horrid thought—a continual round of parties to plan, set up and take down.” Miranda shuddered. “Just kill me.”

As they drove out of town, they passed Cruz’s bright blue truck still parked on the curb, with Jud standing at the driver’s open door.

“Was that Jud Ritter?” Nan turned her head to stare out the rear window.

“Didn’t you see him at the party? He showed up while we were decorating Greer’s Blazer.”

“No, I didn’t.” Her mother dropped back into her seat. “I guess I wasn’t paying attention. Did he come back for the wedding?”

“He didn’t even come back for his own brother’s ceremony. He wouldn’t say exactly why he’s here, but Wade has something to do with it. We’re going to meet Monday so he can explain.”

“I’m surprised he was talking to Cruz, though. I don’t think Jud’s been home since Cruz came to town.”

“Wade very kindly arranged for Jud to stay at Cruz’s place while he’s here.”

“What?” The sharpness of the word was completely unlike her mother’s usual drawl.